Thursday, January 31, 2013

another sporadic entry

Social anhedonia

Social anhedonia is defined as a trait-like disinterest in social contact and is characterized by social withdrawal and decreased pleasure in social situations. This characteristic typically manifests as an indifference to other people [15]. In contrast to Extroversion and introversion, a nonpathological dimension of human personality, social anhedonia represents a deficit in the ability to experience pleasure. [16] Additionally, social anhedonia differs from social anxiety in that social anhedonia is predominantly typified by diminished positive affect, while social anxiety is distinguished by both decreased Affect theory and exaggerated Affect theory[17]. Paul Meehl (1962) posited anhedonia in schizotypy to be mainly interpersonal. This trait is current seen as a central characteristic to, as well as a predictor of, Schizophrenia[18].